


August Evening

by alltheginjoints



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:47:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26387428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alltheginjoints/pseuds/alltheginjoints
Summary: Just a late summer evening in Yorknew City (written as part of a zine submission).
Kudos: 3





	August Evening

“Right atrium, right ventricle, pulmonary artery, left atrium—”, Leorio paused to take off his glasses, rubbing the indentations they left on the bridge of his nose. He had been studying for hours, and the late afternoon sun cast long shadows in the mostly empty library. 

A bell chimed over the intercom. “Please be advised, the library closes in fifteen minutes. I repeat, fifteen minutes to closing.” 

Leorio's spindly chair groaned as he got up, sweeping his notes into his briefcase. He’d always prided himself on his medical knowledge, but studying for proper medical school was very different from all the practical emergency first aid knowledge he’d learned over the years. 

His stomach grumbled insistently. Despite being exhausted after studying all day, he still felt restless. After weeks of dinners eaten alone in his hotel room, it was time to explore Yorknew. 

He strode out of the cool dimly lit halls of the library into the late afternoon summer heat. Leorio had to weave his way through couples and groups sitting on the library’s stately stone steps leading down to the street. Their easy chatter and laughter sent a pang of longing though his gut; he thought of Gon, Killua, and Kurapika. Smiling to himself, he pushed his glasses up his nose—he’d see them soon enough. 

He didn’t have to walk far to see he had endless options to choose from. There were noodle carts and kebab stands on street corners, bars beginning to fill with boisterous patrons blowing off steam before the weekend, a sushi shop with a conveyor belt laden with fresh rolls—he passed them by. He didn’t know what he was looking for exactly, just that he’d know it was right when he saw it. 

Strains of a live jazz band drifted out from a basement level bar. No name, the paint on the hanging sign above the door had worn off long ago. He couldn’t even tell if they served food, but it was as if the music were an old stubborn friend, wrapping a hand around his wrist and pulling him in. 

Through the dim haze he could see just a few patrons lining the bar, with a couple more scattered across the cozy, candlelit tables that dotted the main floor. The bartender gestured for him to sit anywhere, Leorio nodded and settled at a table just as the band—a saxophone, piano, double bass, and drum quartet—launched into another upbeat jazz number. 

He slid off his jacket and rolled his sleeves up, sinking deeply into his chair. Discreetly, he sized up the other patrons; besides one man with impressively curled brows, none raised his suspicions. He jumped at a gentle tap on his shoulder. 

“Can I get you anything?” 

“Sake, along with a water”, he noticed a few people eating meals, “And a menu please”. 

“You got it.” The bartender retreated. 

For being what Leorio assumed was a small jazz bar, they had a surprisingly robust menu. The bartender returned, Leorio selected a particularly rich looking seafood dish, and once again the bartender nodded and retreated. He poured himself some sake, it hit his taste buds and filled his stomach with a comfortable warmth. The tension in his shoulders slipped away and he laughed to himself, momentarily overcome with his good fortune over the past couple months. 

He was nearly finished with the sake when the band segued into a slower, soulful number. The bass was steady, meandering with the delicate piano as the saxophone played a tune so gentle it made his heart ache. He rested his chin into his hands, and for a moment, he wished Kurapika could be there with him. Before he could travel too far down that train of thought, he was jolted out of it by the arrival of his meal. 

It was better than he ever could have imagined, certainly better than anything he’d been eating in his hotel room. Perfectly seared fish with a savory mushroom risotto; it was almost good enough to make up for the barely edible rations he’d had during the Hunter exam. 

He’d just barely finished his plate when a man who’d been at the bar slid into the chair next to him. 

“How’s the studying going?” 

Leorio couldn’t camouflage his shock, his eyes bulged, mouth agape. 

“Don’t be so surprised, word about new Hunters gets around.”

Leorio sat back and appraised the stranger. He was nondescript looking, short brown hair and an average build, dressed in casual attire. “What do you want?”

“I know you’re preparing for your medical exams, but if you have time to study one more thing”, he leaned forward conspiratorially, “it will help you as a Hunter.” 

Leorio peered over his glasses, “you don’t say”, he smirked,”how do I know if I can trust you?”

The stranger smiled, his eyes crinkling “you don’t know”. He made a move to stand, “I’ll find you after the library closes tomorrow, we’ll talk more then.” 

Before he could respond, the stranger was out the door and into the evening, leaving a confused and indignant Leorio. 

The bartender was back with another sake, “here you are, and it’s on him”, he jammed his thumb at the door.

Even confused and indignant, Leorio wasn’t going to waste free sake, he slumped back in his chair, pouring himself another drink as the quartet played on into the evening.


End file.
